‘Entrepreneurship to make graduates job creators’

LAHORE

Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Prof Dr Mohammad Nizam-ud-Din has said that new ideas of young students will be marketed and the culture of entrepreneurship will be promoted in order to make degree holders job creators rather than job seekers. 

He said this while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the first-ever entrepreneurship gala organised by Punjab University’s Hailey College of Commerce (HCC) in its 90 years history here on Tuesday. 

In the beginning of the ceremony, one-minute silence was observed and Fateha was also offered for the victims of the recent blast in Lahore. 

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir, Principal HCC Prof Dr Hassan Mobeen Alam, renowned entrepreneur Chaudhry Abdul Rehman, MPA Majid Zahoor, PTI leader Chaudhry Ijaz, chief organiser of the event Dr Fozia Ali, renowned businessmen and personalities from various walks of life, faculty members and a large number of students were present on the occasion. 

The mega entrepreneur gala was the first-ever event in which 600 students participated and presented 120 entrepreneur ideas at stalls. 

Dr Nizam said the importance of commerce education had never been ignored and in the circumstances wherein Pakistan was facing several challenges, we must make efforts for strengthening this field. He said incubation centres must be set up to market ideas of students. He said we were setting up community colleges to provide entrepreneur opportunities to the students. 

He said Pakistan was the 6th largest country of the world and its 60 percent population consisted of youths so we must equip our students with skills along with degrees. He congratulated PU VC Prof Dr Zafar Mueen on organising the event a day after the blast which gave the message that we did not fear from any terrorist element. 

Dr Zafar Mueen said terrorists wanted to destabilise Pakistan. However, he said, we were united against such elements and we would foil their every attempt to weaken our country. He said PU administration would polish indigenous talent of young students in order to compete at national level. On organising the event successfully and showing outstanding performance, the VC announced Rs50,000 for chief organiser and HCC faculty member Dr Fozia Ali and Rs10,000 each for the students who presented Tilawat, Na'at and moderated the event and for two employees of the college. 

Apparel Park: Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park (QAAP) near Sheikhupura is indispensable for boosting up the textile industry of Pakistan as it will provide massive economic activity and employment in textile sector.

Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment (ICI) Sheikh Alauddin presiding over a meeting of steering committee of QAAP to review progress on the project, said the QAAP was a flagship project of the Punjab government and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif wanted to make it an international hub for the textile industry and trade.

The meeting was also attended among others by the ICI Secretary Dr Mujtaba Piracha, Project Director of QAAP Shehzad Ahmad and other officers concerned. Timely completion of the QAAP should be top priority of the departments concerned, he said.

The project director of QAAP briefing on the progress said a consultant firm from Singapore is selected that will start work after further terms and conditions are settled, the work on Motorway Interchange at the spot, realignment of Sheikhupura drain, and construction of front road would be completed this year while Lesco has to complete realignment of 132KVA power line by the end of this month.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs146 million for the front road in present ADP against total estimated cost of Rs510 million”.

Expressing satisfaction over progress of the project, the minister directed all officers to keep close liaison with the departments concerned and keenly pursue the cases in order to avoid any further delay in any part of the project. All officers assured to meet the given deadlines positively.